Performance of a disc brake friction material

The friction materials used in brakes are required to provide a stable coefficient of friction and a lower wear rate at various operating speeds, pressures, temperatures and environmental conditions. These friction materials must also be compatible with the rotor material in order to reduce its extensive wear, vibration and noise during braking. All of these requirements need to be achieved at a reasonable cost and minimum environmental load. Selection of the material is often based on experience or a trial and error method. This paper deals with the performance of a disc brake friction material for a vehicle. There are different friction performance properties such as base line check, average coefficient of friction. The physical properties are studied according to Indian standards. The results are discussed and correlated to the observed friction phenomenon.